About Writer's First Aid      (reviews)

Kristi Holl has been a published writer for over 25 years.  Through a dozen surgeries, raising children, a divorce, numerous moves, and several financial crises, she continued to write.  As a writing teacher for 17 years, Ms. Holl used her experiences to encourage and advise hundreds of students, many of whom faced a similar challenge--how to integrate their writing with other aspects of their lives.  A series of articles on these issues expanded into weekly writing for two websites.  Repeated requests from both writing students and published authors for previously published articles convinced her to assemble 40 of her most popular articles into Writer’s First Aid.  (Scroll down for Table of Contents and four sample articles.)

Writer’s First Aid is divided into four sections for easy reference:  “Getting Started,” “Work Habits That Work for You,” “Money and Other Practical Matters,” and “Creating the Writing Life You Want.”  When a writer is experiencing a particular problem, he or she can turn to the section of the book covering that topic and find 10 articles.  These range from the very practical (in the work habits section) to inspirational and challenging (in the section on creating the writing life you want).  Articles in Writer’s First Aid fit the busy writer’s schedule:  long enough to be helpful, yet short enough to be read during ten-minute breaks. Think of Writer’s First Aid as a medicine chest, full of good things for what ails many writers.  Medicine chests contain items that kill pain, bind up wounds, bring restoration, and increase vitality.  May this volume be each of those things to you.

Contents

Introduction

 I  GETTING STARTED
            Checkup from the Neck Up
          Hitting A Home Run
          Getting to Know You
          What’s Your Motivation?
          Increased Creativity
          What Are You Thinking?
          Balanced Truth
          A Block by Any Other Name
          Beauty from Ashes
          Why Does It Take So Long? Read here

 II  WORK HABITS THAT WORK FOR YOU
          Unfinished Business Read here
          Dealing with Distractions
          But I Don’t Have Time!
          No Cheating at the Office
          Recovering from Speed Sickness
          Boosting Productivity
          Time Pressure?  Be Early!
          Divide and Conquer
          Too Much Time?
          Journal through the Summer

III  MONEY AND OTHER PRACTICAL MATTERS
          A New Relationship with Money
          Money Maxims
          Stop, Don’t Shoot! Read here
          Great Expectations
          Bite the Bullet!
          Get Your Family Involved
          8 Strategies for Being Your Own Agent
          Waiting! Waiting! Waiting!
          Choosing a Writers’ Conference
          Body Maintenance

 IV  CREATE THE WRITING LIFE YOU WANT
          The Shortest Distance
          Is Full-time Freelancing for You?
          Success:  Horse before the Cart
          Who’s in Charge?
          No Quick Fixes
          Voices of Self-Sabotage Read here
          The Traveling Writer
          A Call to Excellence
          Taking Time Off
          A Writer’s Courage

Epilogue

Copyright ©  2002-2007 Kristi Holl.  No part of the electronic media to which this notice is appended may be reproduced or redistributed in any form or manner without the express written permission of Kristi Holl.